Star Wars Rebels: Dawn of the Ashes
by ZJhetalia1989
Summary: Redo of RadioActiveRebel's series. The day Vader's Star Destroyer returned to its base on Lothal, Asher Rubin picked up a subject for an experiment that he thought would fail- again. This time he succeeded, and ended up with a clueless girl who remembers nothing other than her name- Katie Cypress Bridger... Can she remember her past before it's too late? Rating subject to change!


**Hewo! It's Shaylee! So, Radio (RadioActiveRebel) didn't want to continue this series, and she says she wants to delete them. (The series consists of Ezra's Life, Life After he was Gone, For the Sake of the Jedi, The Awakened, and this story) But, considering I wanted to continue this part, she agreed to let me be the owner of them until someone wants to continue and rewrite the entire series…**

 **But, I'm restarting this entire thing, starting here, and working my ways backwards. I've babbled enough. Happy Pineapples, and onto the story!**

 _Prologue…_

 _Asher Rubin was a green eyed, black hair with blue highlights, pale-ish skinned Mandalorian. He didn't make friends to keep… That was… until he met Katie…_

The night Vader's Star Destroyer returned to Lothal, Asher just happened to be in the right place at the right time…

"Any good ones this time?" Asher questioned his supplier of… subjects… who had just exited the ship.

"You're in luck tonight A," he said as he pulled out a medium sized body bag, "I think you're gonna like her." he added as he pulled back the zip revealing an unconscious young teenage girl with dusted orange hair.

Asher brushed back a few stray locks of hair that were too short to be put in this girl's ponytail. He'd never admit it, but the moment he saw the girl, a feeling he hadn't felt in a long time filled his heart once more.

"Cause of death?" Asher questioned as he further examined the girl.

"Surveillance cameras, and a knife in her chest, say she was stabbed, but we don't know by who. Cameras were turned off during the time of the crime. When they were switched on, all it revealed was a boy crying over her… but the knife was already in her." The supplier said.

"She'll do fine. Just fine." Asher said as it started to rain.

He loaded the teen onto the back of his speeder, and drove off to his lab. Away from the towns, away from the cities, and away from the people… Almost.

Asher's POV

There was only one person that I truly trusted around what I was doing in my lab. Her name was Moonrider Dust. She was a Twi'lek with light blue skin, and tan pale markings to match.

Whenever she wanted to help, and when she meant it, her fiery, red eyes would show it. In my opinion, the prettiest Twi'lek ever.

Each time I went out to my supplier, she would always be at the door waiting to help me when I returned. I appreciated the help, but sometimes, I wonder where I would be without her.

"Were you successful?" she asked as I loaded the girl into the lab.

"Yup. And I had a little extra time to get you that necklace you wanted."

"Asher!" she said in a half-grateful half-shocked voice, "You didn't!"

I held it out for her. It was a fire ruby necklace that was almost like a loose upside-down crown.

"This must've cost a fortune!" she said as she took it in her hand.

"You're right on that."

"No, I can't accept this. You are taking this back to the market right now." She said as she put it back in my hand, and gently pushed me back.

"You didn't let me finish. You're right because the guy selling it said it cost _him_ a fortune. Who said it cost _me_ a fortune?"

She arm slapped me, and when she finished, I put it around her neck.

"Well, don't just stand there looking at me. Let's get to work!"

I placed the girl on the surgical table.

I rubbed my finger over the knife incision. That'll need to be stitched up.

"Moonrider! I need a patch up!" What? You really think I was going to take off a girl's shirt?

She came in and I left. Besides, I trust her.

When she was done, she came out, and told me to go in.

Moonrider had removed her armor already. Saves me time.

I hooked up an IV tube to her arm, and a variety of energy monitors. One to her head, one to her chest, one to her other arm, and the other to her left leg.

So… call me insane for trying to bring people back to life… but, I grew up learning this stuff… that is, until the Empire killed my family.

I got inside the monitoring room with the two-sided protective mirror, and readied myself for a possible success… or another possible failure.

Moonrider was in charge of vital monitors and technical generation, while I was in charge of brain waves, nervous system, and power generation.

"On five, we switch power." Moonrider said once she finalized tech scanning

"One…" I started

"Two…"

"Three…"

"Four…"

"Five" and we hit generate.

What fascinates me about this process, is seeing electricity sparking right in front of you almost like controlled lightning.

I watched as the girl jerked as the electricity entered her.

All of a sudden, Moonrider shut off the power.

"What are you doing?" I asked as she ran out.

I checked her monitor… vitals had spiked. I looked out the window, and I saw the girl sitting up with her hand over her chest where the knife had gone in.

This was the first time we had succeeded.

I ran out to help Moonrider with the girl.

She was crying. Moonrider was trying to calm her down, but I noticed blood coming from her shirt. She tore the stitches.

"Moon, can you get a sedative and another patch-up?"

She nodded and ran off.

"Hey, hey, what's your name?" I asked the girl.

She looked up at me.

"Whoa! Your eyes… they're purple."

She stopped crying when she looked at me. Almost as if I reminded her of someone.

"K…Katie…Cypress… Bridger" she said between sobs

"Okay. Katie. Listen, I need you to calm down so we can fix your wound. Can you do that for me?"

She tried to breathe, and when she had calmed down enough, she lied back down on the bed. Moonrider came back and told me to head out. She saw Katie all calmed down, and looked at me. Her eyes said it all: You're a miracle worker.

"Her name is Katie."

That got the girl's attention. She looked at Moonrider, and said: "Hera?"

I'll just let Moon deal with that.

Moonrider's POV

The girl looked at me with a small smile. Almost as if I reminded her of someone she held dear. Oh boy.

"Okay. Katie- is it? I need you to let go of your wound so I can patch it up. Okay?"

She hesitated. Almost as if she remembered what caused the wound.

I was afraid this would happen. She doesn't remember much. She might only remember her name, her age, and where she was from… But nothing more.

"Do you remember how that happened?" I asked her

"I- I'm not sure… I think… No. I don't" she said with a look of defeat.

"That's okay." And I picked up the syringe with the sedative in it, but she leaned away from it in a slight panic.

"What's wrong?" I asked as I set the sedative back down.

"I… I remember someone putting… something into my brother…" she said as she rubbed the back of her neck. I looked, and I saw another wound where something had been dug out of her neck, "They put it in me too… And… I… I lost him."

"Lost who?"

"My brother… my friends… my family… _everyone._ "

What?

Well, if she won't take a sedative, I'll need Asher back.

"Ash? Can you come out here?" I called as I got a rag out from the closet that held an assortment of objects…

He came back in, and I pulled him to the side.

"Look, I need your help. She's scared of injections because of something that happened earlier today I suppose… You'll need to hold her hand because I need to work on the knife wound."

"What? You know how I feel about that!"

"Shh. Not so loud. It's okay, alright?" I waited until he gave me the 'okay' look, and pushed him back out the door.

"Sweetie, I'll need you to take off your shirt so I can work on your wound." I said. In return, she looked at Asher for a few minutes, before extending her hand so we could help her.

When she was done, she laid back down on the table, and I saw her squeeze Asher's hand, and tighten her eyes shut. Without a sedative or anesthetic, this can be very painful… I learned the hard way…

"I'm ready," she said before I saw her relax.

I began inserting the needle and thread.

Katie occasionally whimpered or tightened her grip on Ash, but she never jumped. In total, she had made it through 21 stitches… I only made it through six.

When I had cut the thread, Katie lost it. She really let herself go, but I let her cry as I wrapped the bandages around her. When I sat her back up, she had practically jumped on Ash, and full-on hugged him before she cried herself to sleep.

"What do I do?" he kept on asking.

"Hug her back. Let her know you care. We want her to like us, remember?"

He reluctantly agreed, and for a moment, I saw him in a way I thought he had forgotten about… He smiled at her, gently cradling her close to him…

 _He saw her as his little sister._

Asher's POV

I don't really like when people get emotional and expect me to go along with it.

It's one of my biggest fears, and here it was, right here in my arms, sound asleep.

Literally.

I don't like to talk about it much… but now, it was replaying in my mind, each word scorching itself into my memory again, opening scars that I had just healed… each picture pouring salt into a fresh wound…

It happened when I was twelve.

 _"Mom, we need to get out of here! We can't stay, we have to go!"_

 _We were almost completely trapped inside our house, now engulfed in flames… Mother had warned us about the day the Empire would realize that we were trying to bring peace back to our galaxy, but I guess we weren't careful enough._

 _"Asher, just leave me. I'll be fine." She said with a pained tone in her voice. She gripped her side and let out a small whimper._

 _"No you won't! You're hurt! And so is Layna!" I said pointing to my twin sister who was lying down on the floor crying._

 _My mother kneeled down to where she was almost at eye level with me._

 _"Listen to me Asher: You will not come back. No matter how old you get, you will not come back. You have to take your sister with you. Go find help for her. Go."_

 _"What about you!?"_

 _"I will be fine. I'm going to see your father."_

 _"Why can't you come?"_

 _"Asher! I told you to go!"_

 _"Mom- I love you"_

 _"And I love you too, son. Now go!"_

It was no use. I helped Layna to the nearest town, carrying her in my arms, but by the time we got there, she was far beyond help. The doctors and droids said that even if they tried, she would have to use her willpower to continue… and with the damage she'd taken, she probably couldn't lift her arm.

I didn't want to let her go, but her last words are what have kept me going for six years. By following them, I've made a friend- Moonrider- who has aided me all this time. I've grown so close to her, that it's almost filled what I lost the day of the fire… But I've never been able to stand anything like what I was going through right now.

 _"Asher, you ha… have to promise me s-something. You have to promise t…that you'll never turn down an o…opportunity to make your life b-better that it would be without us. I don't want to see you any s-sooner than I have t-to. Live your life, and live it without scars."_

I didn't want to admit it to myself, or to Moon… but in those few moments, I felt like I was back with my family. That this girl was Layna… and that we were just tired from messing around all day… but that was never gonna happen.

Carefully, I picked the girl up, careful not to disturb her, and took her to my room since Moonrider was probably already asleep by now.

I laid her down on my bed, and threw a cover over her since it was cold in my room. After that, I pulled up a chair, and sat down beside her. For some weird reason, I had the urge to stare at her… I have to admit: she was _beautiful_ … More than Moonrider… but she was a total stranger.

"No…" I heard her say.

Must be a nightmare…

 _"It doesn't have to be this way"_ she added before her hand shot up and covered her wound again. Then, she woke with a jolt.

She was panting heavily, trying to catch her breath… before she looked up at me. I saw fear in her eyes before she looked at me and asked, _"Cade?"_

I stood up, and in return, Katie scooted over to the side.

"Don't worry, I'm not gonna hurt you." I said, gently.

"Where am I?" she asked, her fear rising.

"To be exact, in my room, on Lothal… You know where Lothal is?" I asked, quickly wishing I hadn't said the first part.

"I'm pretty sure it's where my brother grew up… along with my dad… But, I don't remember exactly…" she said, examining the room.

"That's fine. Just, try to get some sleep. Moonrider will tend to you in the morning." I started out the room, but then, a loud, echoing clap of thunder filled the silence of midnight.

I would've been out of the room already, if not for Katie.

I felt a sudden weight on my chest… She had gotten out of bed, wrapped her arms around me, and had started quivering. My hand was on the lock pad, ready to type in my unlock code, but then I heard the voice of a scared little girl say:

 _"Don't go… I'm scared of thunder… and you're the only thing I have closest to my life before all this… You remind me so much of a face I keep seeing when I look at you… Please, stay."_

I thought about it for a few minutes, before slowly taking her back to the bed. I sat down beside her, throughout the storm, and waited until she was asleep, before pulling out a few pillows and blankets, and placing them on the floor, beside the bed…

Throughout the night, I kept thinking. I couldn't sleep. I had this bubbly feeling in my heart that I couldn't control… I couldn't stop thinking about her.

I never let my emotions control me before, but now, control didn't seem like an option. My mind wandered through so many thoughts that I couldn't push away…

Then I came to one certain thought… the day I broke a promise.

I pulled my sleeves down to my elbows…

But I then pushed it away… and went back to thinking:

 _Why do I feel this way?_


End file.
